ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 294931
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| Date: | Thursday 11 December 2003 |
| Time: | 21:15 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250 |
| Owner/operator: | Northeast Aviation Inc |
| Registration: | N40259 |
| MSN: | 27-7305069 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12300 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Buffalo, New York -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Morristown Municipal Airport, NJ (MMU/KMMU) |
| Buffalo Niagara International Airport, NY (BUF/KBUF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After landing, as the pilot pulled into the ramp area, he noticed an orange glow at his feet, and notified airport personnel over the radio that he had a fire in the airplane. The pilot brought the airplane to a stop, and airport crash fire rescue extinguished the fire. Examination of the airplane revealed the fire burnt a hole through the fuselage skin in the area of the Janitrol heater, just aft of the left wing root. The entire area forward of the Janitrol heater, including the wiring and plumbing of the heater, as well as the cockpit and cabin was consumed by fire. The pilot reported that his normal procedure for using the Janitrol heater was to turn it off at the same time he extended the landing gear while on approach. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), Description and Operations section stated, "The three positions of the cabin heat control switch are 'HEAT,' 'FAN,' and 'OFF'...It is advisable to place the switch in the fan position for several minutes after the heater has been operating to allow the unit to cool down before it is turned off." The Normal Procedures section of the POH required that the switch be turned to the "FAN" position while completing the Before and After Landing checklists. The Shutdown checklist called for the switch to be switched to the "OFF" position.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper procedure with regard to the cabin heater, which resulted in the over temperature of the heater and subsequent fire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC04LA047
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2022 15:57 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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